Creation, Curation, & Connection

Image source

This post should have been put up a long time ago. I am trying to do better at releasing things early and often rather than refining each post as much as possible. Unfortunately I think the graphic above is a pretty accurate depiction of my behavior online in the last few years. Creating films, presentations, etc. has been a passion of mine, but curation -or gathering and consuming information- has started slowly inhibiting the amount of time I take to do more creative work.

Now what the graphic doesn't show is a third important element that every digitally literate person should be aware of is connection. My English professor, Gideon Burton, made this nifty little tutorial (video above) about these three points, create, consume, and connect, and how they are important to digital literacy. I highly recommend it.

As I reflect on how I am doing with these points of Digital Literacy, I am reminded of the important and often unspoken attribute of balance. Balance seems to be a recurring theme that continues to pop up in my life. I don't think I am alone in this fact though. As the Internet continues to become a more integral part of our everyday living, it is essential that we reflect how we use it. Balance between creating, consuming, and connecting on the Internet - as well as doing all the other important things that don't involve being online- can seem tricky. However, seeking more balance in all these categories we can be more engaged with issues around us.

Indeed becoming digitally literate is an important part of of media literacy. If all we know how to do is critically engage with media, we are greatly limiting ourselves. By learning to create media, consume critically, and connect with other students and people all around the world the media literacy movement will begin to have the meaningful impact on society that it seeks.